The cycling community in Vancouver

5 things you didn’t know about our cycling community

Is there a doctrine, a standard, a secret handshake? Is there a place where all cyclists meet, or a holiday that all cyclists observe?

1. There is no cycling community.

Sex columnist Dan Savage once said, “Just because we all do the same thing doesn’t make us a community.” You can join a bike-related group, scene, club, team, collective, coalition, association, ensemble, or tribe in Vancouver; but the only thing that connects you to other cyclists is that equipment between your legs.

3. There are a lot of ways to connect with other bike riders.

You can make eye contact at a red light, chat at a bike shop, read a poster, like a Facebook group, show up at a meet-up, join a team, ask a co-worker; or the next time you see an interesting-looking group of people riding by, catch up and say hi.

4. Bike riders love other bike riders.

Hardcore cyclists may ooze nonchalance, but most are psyched that you want to ride, talk, use, create, advocate, or race a bike too. Don’t be intimidated by them.

5. It’s not about the bike.

As one bike shop staffer put it, “I don’t care what kind of bike you ride, so long as you ride it.” You’ve got to start somewhere, so pick a bike you like and get rolling.